Wall coverings are used by homeowners to decorate walls, cabinets, furniture and other articles found in the home. The surfaces to which the wall covering is affixed include, but are not limited to, painted or unpainted wood, painted or unpainted fiberboard, veneer paneling, melamine laminate, cementitious walls, vinyl treated and untreated gypsum board.
Typically, wall coverings comprise one or two layers. The first layer is the decorative layer. Materials which are used for the first layer include, but are not limited to, paper, mylar, foil, vinyl and fabric. The second layer is referred to as the backing or backside. Materials that are used for the backing include paper and fabric. Certain wall coverings, referred to as “pre-pasted” wall coverings, have a dry pre-paste adhesive present on the backside of the wall covering. Other wall coverings, referred to hereinafter as “non-pre-pasted” wall coverings, do not have an adhesive on the backside.
Oftentimes, a pre-paste activator is applied to the backside of a pre-pasted wall covering, either by brush or roller, before it is hung on a wall or affixed to another substrate. Typically, such pre-paste activators are aqueous alkaline solutions comprising from about 3% to 5% starch, cellulose or another polysaccharide. The wall covering is then booked (allowed to sit folded adhesive side to adhesive side), during which time the pre-paste adhesive swells and the paper relaxes. As it relaxes, the paper loses its rolled up configuration and becomes flat, making it easier to handle. If the substrate surface is too slick, the pre-paste adhesive/pre-paste activator combination may not be sufficient to provide proper adhesion, thereby resulting in edge curling of the wall covering or formation of bubbles between the wall covering and the substrate surface. Indeed, the wall covering may not even stick to the substrate surface and self lift. Under such circumstances, additional adhesive power is required. Additional adhesive power can be obtained by applying another adhesive product such as a polyvinyl acetate (PVA), latex-based adhesive or a higher solids polysaccharide based adhesive to the wall covering. Alternatively, a liquid primer is applied to the surface of the substrate. Use of these additional products results in additional burdens on the person hanging the wall covering, and increased costs to the consumer.
In certain instances, the wall covering may be in the form of a pre-pasted or non-pre-pasted border which is attached to a painted surface or an underlying vinyl wall covering. To ensure good adherence and to avoid edge curling of the border, it is oftentimes necessary to secure the border to the underlying surface with a latex paste comprising polyvinyl acetate. When pressure is applied to the border, the paste-like latex squeezes out onto the underlying surface. If allowed to dry, the latex paste forms a glossy film on the underlying surface. If the film is not removed immediately from a painted surface, it will harden and become difficult to remove without marring the paint. The damage caused to the painted surface diminishes the aesthetic quality of the completed decorating project.
Accordingly, there is a need for additional compositions that can be used to secure a wall covering to an underlying surface. Water-removable compositions that can serve as activators and improve the adherence of pre-pasted wall coverings to an underlying surface are desirable. Water-removable compositions that can be used as adhesives for securing non-pre-pasted wall coverings, particularly heavy gauge, non-pre-pasted, fabric-backed or woven wall coverings referred to as commercial type II or III, to an underlying surface are also desirable.